Railway time-signal



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1, E FONTAINE RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL.

No. 438,841. Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet2.

E. FONTAINE. RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL. v

No. 438,841. Patented 0012.21, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE FONTAINE, OF AUBURNDALE, OHIO.

' RAILWAY TIM E-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,841, dated October21, 1890.

Application filed December 10, 1889. Serial No. 333,292. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE FONTAINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Auburndale, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Actuating Devices forRailway-Signals, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to devices for actuatlng signals, either visual oraudible, through the wheel of a passing train.

In attempting to transmit the blow of a locomotive-Wheel to a signal twoserious difficulties are encountered. If the part struck by the wheel issuffered to rise freely after being depressed by each wheel, (so that itis struck by all or nearly all the wheels of one side of the train,) theexcessive jar destroys the device in a short time. On the other hand, ifthe device is connected with mechanism to prevent its rising quicklyafter being depressed (such as a dash-pot or other equivalent device)the inertia of the moving parts and their resistance to rapid motion isso great that while the machine will operate regularly and easily in thecase of a slowlymoving train the shock from atrain running at high speed(say sixty miles an hour) is so instantaneous that the device is soondestroyed. Even the inertia of the moving parts of a very light signalapparatus-such as is shown in my two former patents-is sufficient todestroy the actuating mechanism in a short time under the impulse offast-running trains if a rigid connection is made. I have succeeded bythe device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in obviating boththese difficulties and in providing a signal which will be struck byvery few Wheels of any train,and is very durable and reliable.

Figure l is a central vertical section of my device, and Fig. 2 is aplan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a similar section as Fig. 1, with the partsin the relative positions when actuated by the wheel of a fast-movingtrain.

A represents one of the rails of a track.

B is a housing supported in any suitable manner in proximity to therail, and may be firmly secured thereto by means of clampingbolts 0,engaging the foot of the rail, or in any other suitable manner.

F represents a lever fulcrumed on a pin D, which is carried in thehousing B, and the long arm of said lever is connected by a link withthe piston-rod of a piston J in the dashpot K.

F represents a lever whose short arm f is in close proximity to the railA and extends normally slightly above said rail, while its long arm P isa spring for a portion of its length and is connected with a chain orcord or cable R, which leads around the pulley S and is connected withthe signal mechanism of any desired kind; The lever F is connected wtththe lever F by a bolt c, which passes through the short arm of lever Fand loosely through the short arm of lever F, and is encircled by acoiled spring (1, one end of which bears on the under side of lever F,while the the other end bears on a collar held by the jam-nuts e on bolt0, so that the leversF and F are at this point held'together only by theelastic force of the spring cl.

a represents a cushion, of rubber or resilient material, interposedbetween the levers F and F.

1) represents a bolt, which passes loosely through the levers F and F onthe long-arm side of the fulcrum of said levers for the purpose ofholding said leverstogether, yet permitting the lever F under certaincircumstances to play slightly on bolt 1). A circulating-pipe L connectsa port g at or near the bottom of the cylinder with the port it at ornear the top of the cylinder, and this circulating-pipe is provided witha check-valve M. A supply-pipe N connects the circulating-pipe with areservoir 0, placed in any convenient position within the housing. Twominor ports t' and 9' are formed at or near the bottom and top of thecylinder respectively, and these are connected by a circulating passageor pipe 70, which is controlled by an adjustable valve Z, the handle onof which is in accessible location for being conveniently adjusted. Acover S is hinged at 'n to the housing and secured by a lock 0.

The cylinder and circulating-passage connected therewith are filled withglycerine, oil,

or other suitable fluid not liable to freeze, a suitable supply of itbeing maintained in the reservoir 0, from which it freely communicatesinto and through the circulating pipes and passages into the cylinder.The valve Z, controlling the circulation between the ports 1 and j, isthen slightly opened more or less, as will be found necessary for theproper operation of the parts.

The operation of my invention is as follows: If the short arm f of leverF be depressed comparatively slowly, so that the inertia of the movingparts becomes unimportant, and so that the liquid in the dash-pot willtransfer from the upper to the lower side of piston .I during the timein which the short arm of lever F is descending, the two levers F and Fswing on the fulcrum D as if they were a single lever, and the long armP of the lever F operates the signal mechanism, the resilient characterof said arm preventing undue shock. After the long arm of lever F hasbeen raised the check-valve M closes and holds the piston J of thedash-pot K in an elevated position, thus holding down the short arm f oflever F and permitting said short arm f to rise only as fast as theliquid below the piston J will run through the passage 7t, and this ofcourse can be governed by the valve Z, which can be adjusted by thevalve-stem m to any desired degree of opening. The spring H now drawsthe long arm of lever F downward, thus causing the piston J to graduallydescend and carrying downward the long arm of the levers F and F; but ifthe short arm of lever F be struck by the wheel of a train running at ahigh rate of speed and depressed very suddenly the operation of thedevice is modified as follows: The spring 61 yields to the force of theblow, as shown in Fig. 3, thus converting this spring and itssustaining-bolt 0 into a fulcrum for the lever F; but as this is ayielding fulcrum the long arm P of lever F is not moved upward inproportion to the relative lengths of the two arms of said lever, andthe shock of moving the signal is thus lightened. At the same time thebolt 0 draws downward on the short arm of lever F, and the long arm oflever F presses upward on the cushion a, thus raising the long arm oflever F and the piston J of the dash-pot K, but to a less extent andmore slowly than would be the case if the levers F and F were rigidlyconnected together or were one lever. As the wheel passes beyond theshort arm f of lever F, the reaction of spring cl forces said short armf upward until it comes in contact with the cushion a, when its upwardcourse is checked because the dash-pot K is now holding the long arm oflever F in a raised position. If

this permits the short arm f of lever F to rise above rail A, the nextwheel again depresses said short arm, (but with much less violence,owing to its lowered position,) and the foregoing operation is repeateduntil thelong arms of both levers F and F are raised to their highestworking elevation 'by a series of comparatively easy impulses, insteadof bya sudden and violent shock, and both lovers are then returned totheir normal positions by the above-described action of spring H anddash-pot K.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. An actuating device for a railway-signal, consisting of a leverhaving one end in position to be struck by a passing train, andelastically connected with its fulcrum, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. An actuating device for a railway-signal, consisting of a leverhaving one end in position to be moved by a passing train, and having ashifting fulcrum, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. An actuating device for a railway-signal, consisting of alevcr havingone end normally in position to be struck by a passing train, a mainfulcrum on which said lever vibrates, and a yielding fulcrum indirectlyconnected with the main fulcrum, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

4. In a device for actuating arailway-signal,

a pivoted lever having one end connected with" a dash-pot or itsequivalent and a lever hav a ing one end normally in position to bestruck by a passing train, and secured to said pivoted lever by anelastic connection, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of a pivoted lever F a dash-pot K, and a lever Fhaving one end in position to be moved by a passing train, and securedto lever F by a spring-connection c d, and an interposed cushion a,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a device for actuating a railway-signal, a lever having an elasticconnection with its fulcrum and with the signal mechanism, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a device for actuating a railway-signal, a double lever, one partof which is pivoted on a fulcrum and connected with a dash-pot or itsequivalent, the other part being elastically connected therewith andextending into position to be struck b'yf'a passing train, and aconnection from either of said levers to the signal mechanism,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 19th day of November, 1889.

EUGENE FONTAIN E.

Witnesses:

M. B. ODOGHERTY, JAMES lVIII'rTEMoRE.

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